[governance] cross-border IG issues

[Adam Peake]

This has nothing to do with Internet 
architecture. The US's demands are based on 
Twitter being a US registered company, nothing to 
do with the Internet per se.

FWIW (not worth much :-)) most of Twitter's 
Internet architecture is run by a Japanese 
company, NTT.

Thanks,

Adam



>Read below to see another instance of how some 
>countries are more equal than others owing to 
>the manner in which the global Internet 
>architecture and its power nodes are structured 
>today..... It should hardly be surprising that 
>most 'other' countries are rather concerned 
>about this asymmetry  and concentration of 
>global IG power. 
>
><http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/10/3110066.htm?section=justin>http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/10/3110066.htm?section=justin
>
>US pursuit of WikiLeaks triggers diplomatic spat
>By Jennifer Macey
>
>Updated Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:43pm AEDT
>
>  The US has subpoenaed Twitter to release 
>information from five accounts in its 
>investigation of WikiLeaks (AFP: Joe 
>Raedle/Getty Images)
>
>AUDIO: Iceland furious over US subpoena of Twitter accounts (PM)
>RELATED STORY: US orders Twitter to disclose WikiLeaks records
>The Icelandic government has summoned the US 
>ambassador to explain why the US is seeking 
>personal information from the Twitter account of 
>an Icelandic MP.
>
>The US has subpoenaed Twitter to release 
>information from five accounts - including those 
>of the MP and a Dutch computer programmer - in 
>its investigation of whistleblowing website 
>WikiLeaks.
>
>Legal experts say because Twitter is registered 
>in the US, the company may be obliged to hand 
>over the information.
>
>The American ambassador to Reykjavik, Luis 
>Arreaga, has been summoned for a meeting at 
>Iceland's foreign ministry.
>
>He has been asked to explain why US officials 
>want the Twitter account details of an Icelandic 
>MP.
>
>Iceland's interior minister, Ogmundur Jonasson, 
>says the request is not being taken lightly.
>
>"It is very serious that a foreign state, the 
>United States, demands such personal information 
>of an Icelandic person, an elected official," he 
>said.
>
>"This is even more serious when put into 
>perspective and concerns freedom of speech and 
>people's freedom in general."
>
>Icelandic MP Birgitta Jonsdottir is one of five 
>Twitter accounts that have been subpoenaed by 
>the US Justice Department.
>
>Although she is a former WikiLeaks collaborator, 
>she denies she has anything to hide.
>
>"Not at all, that's not what this is all about. 
>This is about a certain principle," she said.
>
>"Here we have a government that is demanding a 
>privately-owned company to give up personal data.
>
>"I have not done anything that can be considered 
>criminal. It's not against the law to leak 
>information, it's not against the law to be a 
>source, it's not against the law to publish this 
>information.
>
>"The information in question is about crimes 
>committed by the United States government."
>
>Along with Ms Jonsdottir, the US Justice 
>Department sought information from four other 
>Twitter accounts.
>
>The WikiLeaks account, Dutch computer programmer 
>Rop Gonggrijp, American programmer Jacob 
>Appelbaum, and the account of Private First 
>Class Bradley Manning, the US army intelligence 
>analyst accused of leaking the classified cables,
>
>Dr Ben Saul, the director of the Sydney Centre 
>for International Law at Sydney University, says 
>US officials can issue a subpoena against non-US 
>citizens if the company holding that information 
>is registered in the US.
>
>"It certainly does seem that the US is exploring 
>all avenues available to it through its domestic 
>law," he said.
>
>"Obviously the US itself has no law enforcement 
>power in Europe or in Australia, so what they're 
>obviously trying to do is to obtain the 
>information by going after records held by 
>companies which operate in the US, which are 
>subject to US law.
>
>"Citizenship doesn't really matter here. The 
>relevant question is, is there illegal conduct 
>happening?
>
>"The real question is how will other countries 
>react, you know, will other governments try to 
>do things to shut down this kind of 
>investigation?"
>
>The order issued by the US District Court of 
>Virginia on December 14 gave Twitter three days 
>to release the information, including user 
>names, addresses, connection records, telephone 
>numbers and bank details.
>
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